Ether One trailer: reality optional as you explore the depths of memory

Ether One 's mystique first embedded itself in our synapses during our roundup of the best-looking upcoming games . Developer White Paper recently shared an enigmatic new trailer for the first-person adventure, which is themed around the surrealism of dreams, the dangers of mental instability, and repurposing recollections using nothing but a magical camera.

As a Restorer, you're gifted with the ability to shape and change the memories embedded within others to help them rebuild their shattered minds—sort of like Jennifer Lopez in The Cell but with less horse mutilation . Of course, your own memories need fixing as well, and only by delving into the mind of a patient named Jean can you make everything right.

The relationship between the Restorer and Jean seems like an important piece of Ether One's tale, and its strength lies in dangling answers beyond the wonderful juxtapositions dreams pull off so well, such as a paneled doorway at the end of a concrete hall opening to a slice of tropical paradise. The impressive lighting effects and deep colors of the Unreal Engine game only increase the appeal of escaping into explorable abstraction as you walk Jean's mind.

White Paper hopes for an early 2013 release for Ether One. In the meantime, have a look at its website or Greenlight page for more vibrant shots.